Category: Challenges

Create with Candice Challenge #CWCC002 – A Colorful Twist on Christmas!

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from a project you’ve already created! That’s exactly how this month’s Create with Candice Creative Challenge came to life.

Last week, I introduced our second creative challenge, and this time we’re playing with COLOR! 🎨

The Inspiration Behind the Challenge

It all started with a card I created for the Global Design Project’s CASE the Designer challenge featuring Krista Frattin.

I loved the colors in her original design, but since I was using the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle, I wanted to give my card a little more of a Christmas feel.

I started with a Lost Lagoon background and, of course, added Old Olive for my Christmas tree. I swapped in Barely Blush for a softer touch, but the real surprise was my fourth color — Cherry Cobbler!

I had this beautiful, large Cherry Cobbler ribbon that I really wanted to incorporate, so I decided to go bold. To finish things off, I added a little sparkle with Silver Foil Sheets and some Basic White to balance everything out.

Not only did I love how the finished card turned out, but I absolutely fell in love with how these four colors worked together!

And just like that, I had the inspiration for our next challenge!

🎨 Your Challenge: Four Colors, Endless Possibilities!

For Create with Candice Challenge #CWCC002, I’m challenging you to create something using these four Stampin’ Up! colors:

  • Lost Lagoon
  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Barely Blush
  • Old Olive

You can also incorporate neutral colors and a little metallic sparkle, just like I did!

The best part? Your project doesn’t have to be Christmas-themed!

That’s one of the things I love most about color challenges. The same combination can inspire completely different projects depending on the stamps, papers, and designs you choose.

Whether you create a card, scrapbook page, gift packaging, or something entirely different, I can’t wait to see how you bring these colors to life!

A Little More Inspiration!

Of course, I couldn’t stop at just one card!

After creating my original Holly Jolly Branches card, I decided to see how these colors would work with something completely different. I pulled out the Rolling Waves Bundle and created another sample.

Then, during my Monday Live, I went back to the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle, this time playing with a different layout and incorporating the Shining Star Dies, our Product of the Month.

I love how each project has its own personality, even though they’re all using the same four colors!

Be sure to catch the live replay! I’ll show you how I created the whimsical ribbon background and share more about the special textured paper I used. It’s a fun little detail you won’t want to miss!

🦋 Ready to Take the Challenge?

Now it’s your turn!

I hope you love this color combination as much as I do and will join me for this month’s creative challenge.

Challenge Deadline: Saturday, November 21, 2026

That gives you plenty of time to pull out your supplies, get creative, and share your project!

Remember, everyone is welcome to participate, and you don’t have to use Stampin’ Up! products.

Visit my Create with Candice Challenge page for all the details on how to participate and share your creations.

When sharing on social media, be sure to:

  • Use our challenge hashtag #CWCC002
  • Include #CreateWithCandice
  • Tag Stampin’ With Candice so I can find your project and share your creativity with our community!

I can’t wait to see what you create with these colors. Will you go with something festive, or will you surprise me with something completely different?

Happy Creating! 💜

Learn • Connect • Create • Grow

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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CandiceLeave a comment

Shining Stars & Holly Jolly Branches | Global Design Project #GDP568

This week’s Global Design Project Challenge #GDP568 was another fun CASE the Designer challenge, featuring the talented Krista Frattin!

All week long, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to create for this challenge. I had a few ideas floating around, but nothing was really coming together. Then, toward the end of the week, my Stampin’ Up! order arrived with this month’s Product of the Month — the Shining Stars Dies! ⭐

OMG! I was so excited to get my hands on these dies, and as soon as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect for this challenge!

I decided to pair them with the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle and step a little outside my usual Christmas color palette. I took inspiration from Krista’s beautiful colors, changing them up just slightly to give my card a more festive feel.

And I have to say, I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!

Creating the Background & Adding Layers

I started with Lost Lagoon for my background, stamping a subtle pattern of stars using white ink. I love how the soft white stars add interest without taking away from the focal point.

Next, I stamped my Christmas tree in Old Olive and began building layers with the Holly Jolly Branches Bundle and Shining Stars Dies.

To add a little sparkle, I die-cut several trees and stars using Silver Foil Sheets. I love how the metallic accents catch the light and give the card that extra touch of holiday magic!

A Sneak Peek at Something New!

One of my favorite details on this card might be a little difficult to see in the pictures.

The greeting, several of the trees, and some of the stars were all die-cut from the new Textured Canvas Specialty Paper, coming in November as part of Stampin’ Up!’s Online Exclusives!

This paper is so cool! It adds a beautiful, soft texture to your projects, but what’s even better is that you can stamp directly onto it!

I also used a Blending Brush to add Old Olive ink to a few of the canvas stars, giving them a little extra color and dimension. It’s such a simple way to customize the paper while still allowing that wonderful texture to show through.

One of the things I love most about being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator is getting early access to new products like this!

And speaking of being a demonstrator, there’s an awesome joining special happening in October! If you’ve ever thought about joining my team, I’d love to share more with you. You can also visit the GROW section of my blog to learn more about the creative opportunities and benefits of being part of my team.

Ribbon, Stars & a Little Whimsy

To finish building my design, I added some Barely Blush stars and ribbon, along with the new Cherry Cobbler Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

We’ve had ribbon similar to this in the past, and it’s always been one of my favorites for Christmas projects. There’s just something about those festive stripes!

But did you notice the wispy ribbon flurries tucked behind the trees?

This is such a fun technique, and it’s one I recently shared when creating my Spooktacular Gift Bags!

By carefully pulling out one of the main threads from the ribbon, you can separate the fibers and create these wonderful, delicate wisps. I tucked them behind my trees, letting them loop and flow naturally across the card.

I love how they add movement, texture, and a little bit of whimsy without overwhelming the design.

For the finishing touches, I added a few Iridescent Pearls and layered my Lost Lagoon panel onto Cherry Cobbler cardstock, all mounted on a Barely Blush card base.

Those little details really brought everything together!

Sometimes the Best Projects Are the Unexpected Ones!

When I first sat down to create this card, I really wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. I had a general idea, a new set of dies I couldn’t wait to play with, a color palette that was a little different from my usual Christmas combinations, and beautiful challenge sample for inspiration.

But once I started creating, everything came together surprisingly easily!

I love the mix of textures, the unexpected colors, and all those wonderful layers. It’s definitely one of those cards that looks more complicated than it actually is and has that WOW factor I love!

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy participating in creative challenges so much. They encourage me to try something different, look at my supplies in a new way, and sometimes discover combinations I might never have thought to use.

What do you think? Would you use Lost Lagoon, Old Olive, Barely Blush, and Cherry Cobbler for a Christmas card?

Have You Gotten Your Shining Stars Dies Yet?

If the Shining Stars Dies aren’t already on your wish list, you might want to add them! ⭐

They’re this month’s Stampin’ Up! Product of the Month, which means you can purchase them for just $5 with a qualifying $75 order!

I have a feeling these dies are going to be popular, so I wouldn’t wait too long if you want to grab a set before they’re gone.

Ready to shop? Visit my online store at candiceanderson.stampinup.net.

And remember to check out the other amazing creations for #GDP568. There’s always so much inspiration to be found!

Happy Stamping!

Learn • Connect • Create • Grow 🦋

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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Candice1 Comment

Create with Candice Challenge — It’s Finally Here!

If you know me, you know I love a good challenge and participate in many different ones. You may have noticed that I even have a page dedicated to sharing some of my favorite creative challenges—and in the last section, there has been a little teaser:

Create with Candice Challenges — Coming Soon!

Well, guess what? The wait is over!

If you joined me for my live on Monday, you got the first look at my very first Create with Candice Challenge!

Each challenge will last approximately one month, giving you plenty of time to create and participate. The challenges will change from month to month and could include sketches, colors, themes, techniques, CASE the Designer, or just about anything else I come up with!

Most importantly, I hope these challenges inspire you to pull out your supplies, try something new, and share your creativity with us.

You can find all the information about how to participate, share your projects, and become one of my Featured Creators on the Create with Candice Challenge page. And while you’re there, be sure to jump over to my Creative Challenges page for even more challenges and inspiration.

Our First Challenge — #CWCC001

Before you go, let me introduce you to our very first Create with Candice Creative Challenge!

This month I’m starting with a super-easy sketch challenge. I honestly fell in love with this layout and had a hard time stopping once I started creating with it!

During my live, I shared how to create the Flamingo and Walrus cards, demonstrating how easily the same sketch can be adapted to both vertical and horizontal card designs.

But I didn’t stop there!

Be sure to scroll through and check out all the different cards I created using this fun design, along with the card that inspired it all (the Halloween Witches Hat). I think you’ll be surprised by just how many different looks you can get from one simple sketch.

Now it’s your turn!

Use the sketch as your starting point and make it your own. Turn it, flip it, change the shapes, keep it simple, or dress it up—the sketch is there to inspire you, not limit you.

Then share your creation using #CWCC001 and #CreateWithCandice so we can see what you create and inspire one another.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with, share your creativity throughout the month, and send a little happy mail to our Featured Creator!

Happy Stampin’! 🦋

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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CandiceLeave a comment

Create Stunning Christmas Cards: CASE Techniques

This week’s Global Design Project challenge, #GDP560, is another fun CASE the Designer challenge, featuring Charlet Mallett!

I love CASE challenges because there are so many different directions you can take the inspiration. You can focus on the colors, layout, technique, or even just one little element that catches your eye.

For my card, I chose to focus on Charlet’s background technique and a similar layout, but gave it a Christmas twist using the Pretty Poinsettia Bundle. 🎄

I absolutely love how the soft background adds interest without competing with that gorgeous poinsettia. It really helps the rich colors and dimension of the flower pop!

That’s one of my favorite things about CASEing another designer—you can start with the same inspiration and create something completely your own. ❤️

Want to See How It Comes Together?

Check out my reel for a quick recap of how to create this stunning card!

Then use these quick tips when creating your own:

  • Create your own stencil. Cut the leaves from a thick piece of paper. I used one of the cardboard backers from a Designer Series Paper pack. Keep an extra piece handy to cover any open areas as you move the design around your background.
  • Start with watercolor paper. For the best results with this background technique, watercolor paper gives you a little more freedom to work with the water and ink.
  • Make your own color spritz. Add a few drops of reinker to a color spritzer along with water to create the soft background color.
  • Add some splatters. A Water Painter makes it quick and easy to add those little splatters of color that give the background even more interest.
  • Give your poinsettia dimension. Ink the edges of the poinsettia petals and leaves, then gently curl them with a Bone Folder before assembling. This adds beautiful depth and texture.
  • Customize your Rhinestones. Use Stampin’ Blends to add color to your Rhinestones so they coordinate perfectly with your project.

✨ Want to create your own?
Click here for a complete list of the products I used and an easy way to place your order.

No matter where your creative journey takes you, I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s learn, create, connect, and grow together—one project at a time. 🦋

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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CandiceLeave a comment

July Paper Pumpkin Meets a Sketch Challenge

For this week’s Global Design Project Sketch Challenge #GDP558, I was inspired by my July Paper Pumpkin kit. This month’s kit featured easy-to-create easel cards, and I absolutely fell in love with the flowers, sentiments, and coordinating add-on dies. They were the perfect combination for bringing this week’s sketch to life.

I decided to stick with the same beautiful color palette from the kit: Hydrangea Hue, Timid Tiger, Melon Mambo, Darling Duckling, and Old Olive. I love how bright and cheerful these colors are together. While the Paper Pumpkin cards used softer tones, I created a similar look by stamping some of my images at full strength and others stamped off for a lighter shade.

Creating the Floral Panels

The sketch featured four rectangles separated by narrow spaces, so I reached for the Rounded Rectangle Punch to create my four panels.

I started with Basic White cardstock, stamping the leaves in Old Olive around the corners before adding flowers in Melon Mambo and Timid Tiger (stamped off). My goal was to create a floral frame around each rectangle while leaving the centers clean and open.

Next came my favorite part—adding dimension!

Using the coordinating add-on dies, I cut flowers from Hydrangea Hue, Timid Tiger, and Darling Duckling, along with leaves in Old Olive. Instead of leaving the leaves attached to their stems, I snipped them apart and tucked them throughout the design anywhere I wanted a little extra greenery.

Several of the flowers were popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals for added depth. I even allowed some of the flowers to extend past the edges of each panel before trimming them flush once everything was adhered. This helps create the illusion that the floral arrangement continues beyond the edges.

The finished panels were attached to a 3¼” × 5″ piece of Basic White cardstock using additional Dimensionals.

Adding the Sentiment

For the greeting, I stamped “hooray” in Melon Mambo on Basic White cardstock and carefully fussy cut it. The “it’s your day!” sentiment was stamped in Timid Tiger and cut using the Triple Banner Punch.

To pull everything together, I wrapped Crisp Cantaloupe Ribbon around the center of the card and tied it with White Baker’s Twine.

One thing I love about Stampin’ Up! products is how well many of the colors coordinate, even when they aren’t exact matches. The Crisp Cantaloupe ribbon paired beautifully with the softer stamped-off Timid Tiger images and tied the entire card together.

Creating the Easel Card Base

The card base is Hydrangea Hue cardstock, cut to 11″ × 4¼” and scored at 5½” and 2⅛” to create the easel fold.

I wanted to recreate the subtle plaid background from the Paper Pumpkin cards, so instead of embossing with the Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder, I tried a different technique.

I inked the embossing folder, laid my cardstock onto the inked surface, and rolled over it with my Stampin’ Brayer. This transferred the plaid pattern without adding texture, which kept the fold nice and smooth while still giving me the look I wanted.

To finish the front, I adhered only the bottom portion of the white panel to the lower section of the card base so the easel mechanism could function properly.

Finishing the Inside

For the inside, I added a 3¾” × 5″ piece of Basic White cardstock.

I stamped the grid image three times in Timid Tiger, then stamped the “hugs & wishes” sentiment in the same color and punched it out with the Triple Banner Punch.

I attached the banner with Stampin’ Dimensionals, allowing it to act as the stopper that holds the easel card upright—just like the original Paper Pumpkin design.

Final Thoughts

This was such a fun card to create, and I know I’ll be reaching for these stamps and coordinating dies again soon. It’s always exciting to take inspiration from one project and transform it into something completely new.

If you’ve ever thought about trying Paper Pumpkin, now is a great time! New subscribers who sign up for the pay-as-you-go subscription by August 10 will receive 25% off their first kit. Even better, once you’re a subscriber, you’ll have access to purchase many past kits and refill kits while supplies last.

Click here to get started today!

Check out this sneak peek of what’s to come!

No matter where your creative journey takes you, I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s learn, create, connect, and grow together—one project at a time. 🦋

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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CandiceLeave a comment

Creating Depth with One Color: Card Making Tips

This week’s #TGIFC587 challenge was all about tone-on-tone, and I decided to really challenge myself by creating an entire card using just one color.

Rather than choosing a color you would typically expect with the Notes of Collage Bundle, I reached for Gray Granite. This is a sneak peek bundle (and I’m not even sure when it will be released!), but I couldn’t wait to create with it. I have to say… I absolutely love how this card turned out.

One of my goals was to show that a monochromatic card doesn’t have to feel flat. By layering several simple techniques, I was able to create lots of depth, texture, and contrast while staying true to a single color palette.

For the background, I die cut one of the abstract images and used the piece as a mask with a blending brush to softly add ink. Afterwards, I made sure my Gray Granite ink pad was freshly reinked so I could stamp the large leaf at full strength twice, then stamped the wispy leaf a several times using the stamp off technique for a softer, lighter impression.

To add even more texture, I distressed the edges of the cardstock with my scissors before gently crinkling the panel. A little more Gray Granite ink brushed over the edges and creases helped highlight all of that wonderful texture. The delicate die-cut leaves, cut from Gray Granite cardstock, really stand out against the inked background without introducing another color.

I kept the sentiment monochromatic as well by stamping “I’m Here for You” in Gray Granite on a die-cut label. Finally, I finished the card with Gray Granite Variegated Ribbon and a few Mosaic Dots for just the right amount of sparkle and elegance.

This card was a wonderful reminder that sometimes limiting yourself creatively can actually open the door to new ideas. It’s amazing how much interest you can create with a single color by simply varying the depth of ink, layering textures, and adding dimension.

Have you ever challenged yourself to create a true monochromatic card using just one color? I’d love to hear which color you would choose or better yet share your creation in the comments or on my social media.

No matter where your creative journey takes you, I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s learn, create, connect, and grow together—one project at a time. 🦋

A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

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CandiceLeave a comment